Legal practitioner, Ace Kojo Anan Ankomah, is advocating for the merger of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), and the prosecutorial wing of the Attorney-General’s office.
He has proposed the creation of an independent National Prosecutions Authority through this merger, aiming to establish a more robust prosecutorial authority for the State.
His suggestion comes amid ongoing debates surrounding the constitutionality and functions of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, with calls for it to be either maintained or abolished.
The lawyer has called for a review of the Attorney-General’s prosecutorial powers, as outlined in Article 88(3) and (4) of the 1992 Constitution.
In a Monday, December 8, 2025 interview on Channel One TV, Mr. Ankomah stated that the OSP’s establishment acknowledges the A-G’s Office has struggled with prosecuting corruption and economic crimes, and dispensing justice in complex cases – hence the OSP’s creation.
“In my view, Parliament passing the OSP Act is the biggest concession that, when it comes to corruption and corruption-related offences, the AG’s office has not done well,” Ankomah said.
Mr. Ankomah noted that the complex nature of economic crimes and defence arguments pose prosecution challenges in Ghana.
According to him, merging the energy and rationale that influenced the creation of the OSP with the stabilising structure of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the unit under the AG’s office responsible for criminal prosecutions, is the optimal approach.
He also proposed that the office should be headed by a civil servant to avoid political interference in its operations. The lawyer emphasised that political interference has led to the filing of nolle prosequi to abate ongoing trials, a practice he noted undermines public confidence in the justice system.
“We cannot trust any government with criminal prosecutions because we see that it favours their friends,” Ace Ankomah stated.
“Yes, the police will still investigate crime, but this office will be the authority to prosecute so that we can be sure there is minimal political interference,” he added.
